as in corrupting
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
by insisting that she pay me for helping her, she subverted my noble desire to do a good deed without reward
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Recent Examples of subverting
Vanessa Rossetto has built her entire artistic practice out of subverting listeners’ expectations.
—
Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.
—Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
The Gucci outfits created by then-creative director Alessandro Michele that Lauro sported on stage for his 2020 participation at the Sanremo Music Festival sparked days of online conversation for subverting rigid gender norms and reimagining sacred Italian iconography.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
The inaugural season was about subverting expectations.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
In the Placer County foothills, one winery is subverting expectations and offering wine tasting experiences at a staggeringly low cost.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Buddy embraces the aesthetic of classic children’s television —complete with catchy songs and familiar tropes — before subverting it with a relentless descent into madness.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Hoja has been subverting confident authorities for at least seven centuries, while refusing to be pinned down, even as a hero.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
But artists are often great at subverting expectations, and the Renaissance Society, a beloved arts venue at the University of Chicago known for its brainy exhibitions, has for several years now invited artists to direct its annual benefit, known around town as the RenBen.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Levi Dayan, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.
—Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
The Gucci outfits created by then-creative director Alessandro Michele that Lauro sported on stage for his 2020 participation at the Sanremo Music Festival sparked days of online conversation for subverting rigid gender norms and reimagining sacred Italian iconography.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
The inaugural season was about subverting expectations.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
In the Placer County foothills, one winery is subverting expectations and offering wine tasting experiences at a staggeringly low cost.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Buddy embraces the aesthetic of classic children’s television —complete with catchy songs and familiar tropes — before subverting it with a relentless descent into madness.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Hoja has been subverting confident authorities for at least seven centuries, while refusing to be pinned down, even as a hero.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
But artists are often great at subverting expectations, and the Renaissance Society, a beloved arts venue at the University of Chicago known for its brainy exhibitions, has for several years now invited artists to direct its annual benefit, known around town as the RenBen.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverting
Verb
-
Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The bones also were coated with a light layer of minerals from the surrounding seawater, which may have prevented them from degrading.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
The country’s ministry of culture and sports set out a series of rules and regulations which included no pyro, no face paint and no shouting of words that could be degrading towards any person on the field, not even the referee.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The hurricane-weakening effects of El Niño may be positive for property and casualty insurers in the Northern Hemisphere.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
-
An unpopular war, a structurally sound economy, but maybe GDP weakening, unemployment strong, but consumer confidence weakening.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
21 June 2026
Verb
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He was also found guilty of perverting the court of justice.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The brand, which was based on changing the status quo and perverting common ideas, was a success and Babenzien learned how to build a business.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Strikes and artillery fire were reported across Nabatieh district, destroying homes and residential buildings, according to NNA.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
One video shows a surface to air missile hitting a drone but not destroying it; the drone crashes to the ground and explodes.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The potential pitfall of that is diluting Walker’s effectiveness at his primary position.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The Supreme Court asked the lower court to look at its recent ruling in Louisiana, which weakened the Voting Rights Act — a law that previously placed sharp limits on states’ diluting the power of minority voters.—
Kaylah Jackson,
NBC news,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Many of these coupists capitalized on public discontent over deteriorating economies and security conditions to overthrow their predecessors.—
Kaitlyn Rabe,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
-
Project Jupiter has pledged $360 million for schools and local infrastructure, $50 million for an upgrade to the county’s deteriorating water utility, and $12 million annually to the county budget.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subverting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverting. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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